Welcome to the 2024 ARIA Author Showcase and Giveaway Event! 

  

  

How to enter – Comment on the daily showcases to enter the daily giveaway. Comments close four days after the initial Showcase post. GRAND PRIZE drawn on Dec 5th (1 -$250, 1 -$100, or a 1 -$50 Amazon gift card. One grand prize pp) – For every showcase you post on, you automatically gain one entry to the grand prize. 30 Authors = 30 entries.    

Scott Jablonski will be at the Rhode Island Author Expo   

On to the Showcase! 

 

 

What name do you like to write under? Scott Jablonski

Where do you call home? Cranston, RI

What genre(s) do you write? Children's Picture books, Children's Inspiration Books, - (Fun books to inspire children to be their best version!) 

What genre(s) were you drawn to when you were younger? Was there a reason that genre(s) appealed to you the most?  Poetry, nonfiction, and realistic fiction.  As a young student I ironically did not enjoy reading!  I liked poetry because it was short, often rhyming and fun!  I was also drawn to nonfiction because as an athlete and a sports card collector I loved learning the background, the struggles/journey and fun facts about professional sports figures.  To this very day I love reading biographies about people from all eras of history.   Enjoyment for realistic fiction came much later when I began appreciating suspense, great description writing, interesting characters and how they evolved in the book.

What were some of your favorite books growing up? Why? I liked reading Encyclopedia Brown mysteries because they were short and made me think as Encyclopedia and Sally worked as a team to solve the mysteries.  Then, of course I loved P.D. Eastman and Dr. Seuss with his fun, rhyming lines, playful images and use of nonsense words.

What are some of your favorite books today? I'll answer this question from the perspective of an elementary (grade 4/5) school teacher which I have been for nearly 30 years!  I love reading chapter books by J.K. Rowling, Louis Sachar, C.S. Lewis, Judy Blume, Carl Hiaasen, Avi, and Sharon Creech.  Coincidentally I met the latter two at an author's conference in Providence one year and that was awesome!  I love to read fun and powerful books to my students with universal themes and solid characters to inspire my students to grow productively in thoughts, words and actions.

What inspired you to become a writer? I have always loved playing with words.  I love making up rhymes and I love to write things that will entertain, teach or inspire others especially kids.  I've been creating ditties and songs since I was 8 years old.  In the end, I enjoy creating materials (poems, songs, stories, videos, images, posters etc.) that can be shared by adults with children allowing them to spend time together in a fun and educational manner. 

 Stand Out! Stand Out!

Scott's STAND OUT!  STAND OUT! series focuses on the uniqueness of each individual, emphasizing connections, positivity, respect, kindness, self-actualization and fun!  This framework is developed on the belief that each of us is born with unique talents that need to be discovered, developed and shared with the world for self- fulfillment and to benefit others.  The 8 “Do Always” habits in the STAND OUT! STAND OUT! framework is supported by books, songs, videos and resources for teachers, parents, grandparents, caregivers and coaches to inspire “kids” of all ages to become their best version! 

Tell us a little about how “STAND OUT! STAND OUT!” came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?  Since a young age I've always tried to I had an hour commute to and from my teaching job so I had lots of reflection time in between talk radio, sports radio and audiobooks.  Many of the audiobooks were self-improvement, self-discovery and personal development. One day I had an epiphany.  Knowing full well the abilities, potential, and talents of children, I wondered why we waited until high school, college or even later to start developing their best version!  Why not plant the seeds of discovering, developing and sharing natural talents and kindness with the world at a young age!  Pulling over to the side of the road, I wrote the acronym STAND OUT! and the 8 "Do Always" habits framework into a notebook and put it immediately into an acapella song accompanied by snapping! 

Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book? Because I already had my materials, for example the STAND OUT! STAND OUT! framework, and "How Do You Stand Out?" song, the most difficult thing for me was the learning curve of of building a website, creating the books using on-line applications (Canva), publishing my books on Amazon and then marketing them.

Which character was the most challenging to create. Why?  Creating my quotation book was challenging.  I worked on it every morning before work and at night after work for over 8 months.  Because the book spirals through the 8 "Do Always habits", identifying quotations from a wide range of icons throughout history that were both applicable to the framework and relatable for children, took time.  Because my material is meant to be shared and discussed by adults with children, the reading level of the quotes can be higher than a child's typical independent reading level.

What do you like best about being a writer? I love the creative process and the prospect that my books, songs and other materials will have a positive impact on others- especially children.

If you could collaborate with any author past or present, who would it be? What would the title of the book be? (If possible) - Give us a one sentence blurb.  Oh my... how do I choose just one?  I think it would be awesome to collaborate with Shel Silverstein because he created in so many different ways via- poems, short stories, songs, plays etc.  I too love to create in various ways and I think it would have been fun to see what we could come up with together.  Perhaps we could dramatize and put to music each of the quotations featured in my daily quotation book and call it "STAND OUT! STAND OUT! Where and How Might the Quotations End!"

You can follow Scott Jablonski here - 

Website - www.scottjablonski.com and www.standoutstandout.com

FaceBook - facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557692918292 

Instagram - instagram.com/scottjablonski1 

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVnMoUeQ22-FVQhkhW-FVAg 

 

Scott is giving away a complete set of his STAND OUT! STAND OUT books: 1 picture book, 1 paperback quotation book,  1 reflection journal and 1 poster!

To enter comment below → What is the most recent book that has left you wrapped up in feel good vibes? 

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